Was it difficult?: yesWhy or why not?This was the Inca trail. It was my first multi-day trek.

Hike profile:Day 1: Starts out at 2380 meters, climbs up to 3000 meters – 14 km hikedDay 2: Goes up to 4200 meters at the highest point, then descends a bit to camp at 3600 meters – 12 km hikedDay 3: Goes up to 3860 meters, then descends to 2700 meters – 16 km hikedDay 4: Wake up before the sun comes up, get your headlamps on. Ends up at 2400 meters. Fast paced hike as all of the groups are trying to make it to Machu Picchu as soon as possible. It 7 km hiked.

It was difficult for me because I was not very fit before the hike. Also, the altitude made it more difficult. On Day 2 and Day 3, I was rained on. Day 3 was extremely miserable with cold rain which made it difficult. By the time I got to the campsite, the weather had cleared but all of my gear was soaking wet. I dug through my backpack for something dry to wear, and there was nothing – everything was saturated.

Would you recommend this adventure trip to someone else? Why or Why Not?I would absolutely recommend the Inca Trail to other people. It is a very popular trek to do. But there is so much satisfaction gained when you finally arrive to Machu Picchu after hiking for 4 days!

What do you wish you would have done differently?First of all, I should have trekked more and worked myself to be in good shape before doing the Inca trail. It would have been nice to have better trekking poles (I have bad knees) – should have brought two, rather than just one. I should have bought a poncho in Ollyantaytambo (it was “dry season”, and I was convinced it was not going to rain. My little jacket did not hold up at all!). My fleece was way too heavy, I wish I had better performace gear rather than home making it to save money (weight factors – I carried my pack on the entire trail). I should have brought two knee braces, rather than just one.

What kind of advice can you give to other travellers going on this adventure?Don’t forget the poncho! And plastic bags work great, too. Be prepared for any kind of weather.

On your adventure, what person did you most identify with?Homer Simpson